Process of carbonizing solid vegetation



-w. cRow I Aug. 26,1930. f

' 'Pa ocE ss 0F CARBONIZING SOLID VEGETATION Filed June'22', 1925 ATTEI NEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED! STATES PATENT OFFICE WALLER CROW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO DITTIIINGEB-CROW PROCESS COH- PANY, 0! NEW BBAUNFELS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS PROCESS OF CABBONIZING SOLID VEGETATION Application filed June 22, 1925.- Serial 1T0. 38,687.

This invention relates to modification in the physical condition of materials, more par-- industry of carbon containing materials, but

in practice may even be adopted primarily instead of for by-groduct operations.

"Referring to t e drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with arts broken away, of an installation embo ying the invention; and v a Fig. 2 is a section on the line 11-11, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

'Motor 1 may by speed reduction gearing 2 serve to rotate vertical shaft 3 in structure 4.

chambe1f, 5 below the conveyor 10, is

\ generator for delivering Above this structure 4, there is disclosed chamber v5. To the upper region of this chamber .5 leads hopper 6 from supply conveyor 7. This hopper 6 extends to valve or discharge device 8 for dumpin the material accumulatin in the hopper upon. spiral conveyor 10 in the chamber or retort 5. The direction of rotation of this conveyor 10 on the shaft 3 is for a gradual descent of the material for discharge by chute 11 to hopper 12 having normally closed valve or' wings-.13. The screw conveyor 10 is in'the upper portion-only of this retort chamber 5. .In this 14 carryi upstandingfingers 15. ounted on the slia t 3, above-this platform or partial gartition 14 are radiating arms 16'carrying epending projections 17 .eXtending between the rojections or fingers 15. More or less subivlded or granular material as supplied by the conveyor 7 and delivered to the conveyor 10 for discharge on the platform 14', is acted upon by these prongs 15, 17, for break ing up or disturbing any tendency to caking. The material as thus agitated or plowed by this revolving macerater is discharged through central opening 18 in the platform or partition 14 to continue its progress downward in the chamber 5.

Boiler 19 has furnace 20 to serve as a steam rnace- 23 is efiective superheater 22 where steam by pipe 21 to for building up the superheat of the steam as supplied by the steam 1ine 21. This superheated steam from the superheater 22 is' conducted by line 24 past valve 25 to duct 26 extending to ring 27 having openings 28 in the lower portion of the chamber 5. Additionally, from this duct 26 extends branch 29 having additional openings 30 inward about the chamber 5, below, as well as above the partior 10. This superheated steamis delivered into the chamber 5 at approximately atmospheric pressure or say slightly over fifteen pounds absolute pressure. In practice, the superheat of the steam is to a degree in excess of 300 F. and even above 600 F. at pressure for initialsuperheat say 100 lbs. gauge or 115 lbs. absolute. The variation herein may be made to respond to the conditions or workto be performed, as well as the material upon which the treatment is to be efl'ected. For excessive virulency, it is desirable that the'superheat be at the high points, say in the range of 600 F. or over.

'The superheated steam as released through the tuyere openings 28, 30, to approximately:

atmospheric pressure brings about a temperature dro with a simultaneous increase 1n the degreeo superheat. This'exgansion is inde-.

ndently of doingwork an there should,

tables. In the instance of say 600 F. initial superheat, the drop in temperature due to expansion is approximately 22 F. with the resultant superheat approximating 688 F. This expansion building up of superheat in this instance is with but 25% of the degree of temperature drop as to the superheat gain because the-superheat increase is 88 or four times the 22 ex ansion temperature drop. The virulency is ound of greater activity in the region Where the temperature drop is low relatively to the su erheat gain; The term virulency is used erein in the sense as being very active in doing injury'or to disturb, but not in the sense of a poison. This percentage of temperature drop is lower, the greater the temperature.

It 's desirable in theoperation of the chamtion 14 and even into the region of the conveyher 5, that such be lined to resist chemical attack. .While the vessel or chamber 5 may be of iron or steel for some materials, in the instance of this disclosure the vessel is provided with refractory lining 31 of fire brick or porcelain.

While the reactions as effected by the superheated steam have a degree of virulency, especially in the realm of approximate combustion temperature for the material to be acted upon, it is found the rate of reaction may be many times multiplied with a much lower temperature in the instance of providing accelerators effective by their presence in promoting the treatment hereunder. To this end, the lining 31 is provided with chambers 32, 33, 34, in communication with the chamber 5. These chambers may be char ed with the same materials or different materials according to the treatment to be effected. The promotion of reaction in the material as Well as therate of bringing such about is very noticeably modified by the introduction of broken limestone into the chambers 32. In the event the substance treated, or the limestone has not therein a material quantity of iron, additional acceleration effect may be had by the placing of an iron carbonate or iron carbonate containing ore in association with the limestone fragments in the chamber 32 or preferably in the chamber or portion of the chambers 33, 34. Carbonate as used herein refers to such weathered or partially weathered product as has undergone incomplete oxidation. Brown hematite has been used. These carbonates are preferably in a sub-divided state. The limestone may be up to one-half inch size and likewise with the iron ore. Other salts. than carbonates have been found to answer, as sulphates. While iron oxid has been found acceptable, man ganese oxid has been found to answer as also zinc oxid. However, it is primarily desired that there be present calcium or calcium magnesium as found in dolomite, as hereinbefore referred to under limestone. In lieu of the limestone, magnesium carbonate or sulphate as well as barium carbonate and sulphate have been used.

terials are driven off from the substance treated, as sawdust, bark, wood trimmings, as from lumber plants, or special characters of timber. This treatment is of worth for bringing about reactions upon garbage, coal,

. 38 with tailing lines 39 therefrom for athering the material in receivers 40.

In the operation hereunder, volatile maupplemental mains or flues 41, 42, may take off other volatile materials and pass such to one effecting an attack independentlyof the production of carbon-dioxide. Experience has been in the treatment of carbon containing materials that resulting products have been obtained with total carbon content thereof in excess of the carbon contentof the material directly treated. This leads applicant to believe that the carbon in the carbonate has been associated either synthetically or in the breaking down as united in the production of oil or other carbon containing products in the treatment of the hydrogen and carbon containing material.

The action upon the limestone is one tending to convert such into a quick lime and with other conditions of'superheat even to a hydrate. It, therefore, becomes a more or less oxidized caustic. The reaction on the iron ore is also one tending to a pure iron oxide. Accordingly, While these promotion agents are incidental in the matter of treatment as byproducts, they have a value and in the operations hereunder along the chamber, the oxide may be re-converted into a carbonate.- To this end, the material treated is of excessive carbon content or there must be a supply of carbon-dioxide. There is value incidental to this re-carbonating in that the quick lime or hydrate material may be molded into form and the carbonating thereof result in an artificial marble.

The operation in the treatment of vegetation, coal, or wood, may be one directed for the production of a motor fuel; or for the pro duction .of a fixed gas for illumination or power purposes. The controls are possible for even operating upon petroleum and the condensed products may be controlled for the desired fractions or cracking. The nonvolatile products, as residues, may be controlled according to the degree of extraction after the driving off. Scrubbers 47 may he introduced in the vapor main 41 as desired for gathering up by-products there, as ammonia. or other material.

In the operation hereunder, due to the use of the superheated steam there seems to be such virulency of this hydrogen and oxygen and such special condition thereof promoted that the hydrogen has imparted thereto unusual properties approximating those found for helium, if not really actual production of helium a non-combustible gas collected in the globules of the condensate.

The rangefof utility due to. the possibility of operating at-low temperature and thereby conserving all elements, as well as synthesizing for desired purposes, gives this mode of treatment exceptional value in wide ranges of industrial operations.

' What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The carbonization of vegetable matter comprising acting upon the matter in a solid state with superheated steam by, exposing in the presence of the matter to be acted upon by a solid substance including an alkaline earth base reacting material to said steam as supplied to such presence including dissoci ated hydrogen and oxygen, maintaining the solid state matter separate from and out of solid contact with the solid state of the substance during the steam reaction therebetween, and ,efl'ecting removal of volatiles from the matter acted upon by maintaining a flow of said steam past the matter.

2. The carbonization of vegetable matter comprising actin upon the matter with superheated steam y exposing in the presence of the matter to be acted upon by solid substance including limestone and iron ore to said steam as supplied to 'such presence including dissociated hydroge'mand oxygen,

I maintaining the solid state matter separate from and out of solid contact with the solid state of the substance during the steam reaction therebetween, and effecting removal of I volatiles from the matter acted upon by maintaining a flow of said steam past the matter.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

WALLER CROW. 

